Tile carriage



April 19, 1960 F. L. c. AKINS 2,933,325

TILE CARRIAGE Filed Aug. 20, 1958 I NVE N TOR uzzed. (f?

ATTORNEY United States Patent TILE CARRIAGE Frederick L. C. Akins, St. Albert, Alberta, Canada Application August 20, 1958, Serial No. 756,163

1 Claim. (Cl. 280-35) This invention relates to a carriage for floor tile.

The installation of floor tile usually involves the development of a pattern wherein a plurality of different colors or designs of tile are employed. The operator usually supplies himself with a limited quantity of each color which he must replenish from time to time and through which he must search to find the particular tile required for each particular installation step. Moreover, as the job progresses, the operator must move his supply of tile. As a result, there is a substantial amount of inconvenience and loss of time involved in the mere handling of the tile prior to the actual laying thereof.

It is an object of this invention to provide a simple means for maintaining a plurality of floor tiles of various colors in sorted order prior to laying thereof and for moving a supply of such tiles over the floor surface during the laying operation.

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a tile carriage in accordanve with the invention,

Figure 2 is a side elevation,

Figure 3 is a sectional end elevation on line 3-3 of Figure 2, and

Figure 4 is a sectional end elevation on line 44 of Figure 2.

In the drawing, a pair of platforms 1 each comprise a metal frame 2 and a base plate 3 seated therein. Preferably, the base plate 3 is of wood, plywood, or similar material and its upper tile-receiving surface '4 is disposed above the frame 2 so that, should it be employed as a support for the tile during cutting thereof, the cutting tool will not engage the metal frame. Moreover, it will be observed that the surface 4 is plane and unobstructed.

Means are provided for removably connecting together the platforms 1 and comprise a pair of parallel tubular members 5, such as lengths of metal pipe, welded or otherwise fixed to the under surface of the frame 2 of each platform. A rod 6, which may be tubular as shown, is telescopically mounted in each of the two sets of aligned members 5 of the two platforms 1. Each rod 6 is of an external diameter slightly smaller than the internal diameter of a member 5 so that it will have a sliding fit therein. A set screw 7 having a handle 8 is mounted on each member 5 for locking engagement with the inserted rod 6. It will thus be apparent that the platforms 1 may be secured together in adjacent relation or in spaced apart relation, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, to permit reception therebetween Of a third platform 9.

Platform 9 is somewhat similar in construction to platforms 1 and has a metal frame 10 and base plate 11. Welded or otherwise fixed to the under surface of frame 10 are a pair of spaced parallel channels 12 arranged to receive the midsections of rods 6 when the platform 9 is seated thereon, as shown in Figure 4. Thus, the platform 9 may be readily associated in securely aligned relation to platform 1 or dissociated therefrom.

The platforms 1, with or without associated platform 9, are wheel-supported for ease of movement and to this end, each platform 1 is provided with a pair of casters 13, the brackets 14 of which are fixed to a member 5. An auxiliary platform or tray 15 may be mounted on the outer end of each platform 1 to serve as a receptacle for tools or tile laying materials.

In operation, stacks 16 of tiles are positioned on platforms 1, each stack consisting of one color of tiles. If only two colors are involved in the pattern being installed, the carriage is adjusted to place the platforms 1 in adjacent relation. If there are three or more colors of tiles involved in the pattern, the third and, if necessary, a fourth platform 9 is employed, the carriage being adjusted in the manner described.

It will be apparent that the size of each platform 1 or 9 will be consistent with the size of tiles employed, such sizes being standardized in the industry.

There has thus been provided a tile carriage on which a plurality of colors of tiles may be placed in sorted stacks and which may be readily moved about the floor surface as the tiles are laid.

I claim:

A floor tile carriage comprising a plurality of tile-receiving platforms each having a unitary metal frame and a wood plate mounted in said frame, said plate having a plane, unobstructed tile-engaging top surface disposed in a plane spaced wholly above said metal frame, a pair of parallel metal tubes fixed to said metal frame of each of two of said platforms, wheel-supporting brackets fixed to each of said metal tubes, a pair of rods each telescopically received in one of said tubes of each of said two platforms whereby said two platforms are adjustably movable towards and away from each other, means for locking said two platforms in any adjusted position with respect to each other, a third one of said platforms having seating means for seating said third platform on said rods between said two platforms, said seating means comprising a pair of channel members fixed to said metal frame of said third platform, each said channel member freely straddling one of said rods, said third platform being otherwise unattached to said rods for ready removal therefrom.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,331,704 Gerberich Feb. 24, 1920 1,392,387 Wood Oct. 4, 1921 2,219,609 Askeris Oct. 29, 1940 2,596,749 Webber May 13, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 253,453 Germany Nov. 11, 1912 4 ,945 reat Britain Mar. 16. 1931 

